Leak-stopper for vessels



(N0 Mod e1.)

8 L. WEIHE.

LEAK STOPPER FOB. 'VBSSELS.

No. 381,302. Patented Apr. 17, 1888.

INVENTOR Y B 8 C WITSSES A i zgM ATTORNEYS.

N, FETERS. Photo-Lilhcgnpher, Wlshinglan, u. c

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

- LOUIS WEIHE, or ooNNE LsviLLE, PENNSYLVANIA.

ILEAKI-STOPPERFOR VESQSELS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 381.302, dated April 1-1, 1888,. Application filed July s, 1357. Serial No. 243.193. (No modeLl To aZZ whom it may concern/.-

Be it known that I, LoUIs WEIHE, of Connellsville, in the county of Fayette and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and Improved Leak- Stop for Vessels, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of my invention is to provide a new and improved device for closing a leak in the side of a marine vessel. 4

The invention consists of a canvas sheet provided with horizontal stayi'ods placed suitable distances apart, ropes for suspending the canv'as sheet and means for releasing the rolledup canvas sheet, so that the latter will cover the leak fullyr p The invention also consists .of certain parts and details and combinations of the same, as

' will be-fully described hereinafter, and then pointed out in the claim.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a perspective view ofv my improvement as applied. Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section of the same, and Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the same when rolled up ready to be applied to a leak.

The canvas sheet A, of suitable size and strength, is provided with the horizontal stayrods B,placed suitable distances apart and fastened to the sheet A in any suitable manner. The canvas sheet A is also provided with the bottom stay-rod, G, and the top stay-rod, D, which latter projects'slightly beyond the ends of the sheet and forms the eyes E, to which are secured the ends of the ropes F, bywhich the leak stop is suspended over the leak inthe vessel. 7

In the middle of the top stay, D, is secured a hook, G, which extends downward and inward. At its hook end G it is formed with an eye, in which is secured one end of the rope H, which is for releasing the rolled-up canvas sheet A, as hereinafter more fully described.

The operation is as follows: When it is necessary to use the leak-stop, then its canvas sheet A is rolled up, as shown in Fig. 3, the roll being placed in the hook end G of the hook G, with the rope H extending in front of the leak-stop, asjllustrated- When the vessel has sprung'a leak by a collision or other accident, the rolled-up leak-stop is placed over Patent, is-

the side of the vessel near the leak in such. a manner that when unrolled it will cover the leak fully, as illustrated in Fig. 1. s

The rolled-up leak-stop is suspended over the side of the ship by the ropes F, which are made fast on deck, and then the rope H,which is drawn over the front of the rolled-up leakstop, is also secured on the deck of the vessel, after which the ropes F are slackened, so that the weight of therolled up canvas sheet A pulls downward on the top stay, D, thus throwing all the weight on the rope H, whereby the top stay, D, moves downward, swinging on its fulcrum at the end of the hook G, which is supported at this end in a fixed position by the rope H. This downward movement of the stay-rod D causes the rolled up canvas sheet to fall out of the hook end G of the hook G, and after becoming free throws itself downward along the side of the vessel, thereby passing over the leak in the side of the vessel.

The stayrods B are on the inside of the canvas sheet A, and prevent the canvassheet from being pressed into the leak by the water surrounding the vessel, as said stays B restfirmly along the side of the vessel. The leak will thus be effectually stopped. It the leak should be of very large dimensions, so as not to be fully stopped by one canvas sheet A, several -of the latter may be employed, in the manner above stated. v

I am aware that it is not new, broadly, to employ a suspended canvas for temporarily stopping a leakage produced by the crushing in of a portion of the side or other part of .a vessel from a collision or other cause.

Having thus described my inventiomwhatl claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters In a leak-stop for marine vessels, the combination, with a canvas sheet and horizontal stay-rods secured to one side of saidsheet, of ropes for supporting the uppermoststay-rod, a hook secured in the middle of the uppermost stay-rod and adapted to support the rolled-up canvas sheet, and a rope secured to the end of said hook and used for releasing the hook from the canvas-sheet roll, substantially as shown and described. 7

Louis WEIHE.

Witnesses;

JOHN KUR'IZ, CLEMENT W001). 

